As with China, there is considerable concern in Russia that the US war would quickly become their problem, with North Korea’s struggling civilian population likely to try to flee en masse as soon as the military is tied up with a conflict, and both Russia and China are fearing a major influx.

Concerns that the US might attack North Korea have been growing for weeks, with the announced deployment of the USS Carl Vinson and its carrier strike group adding to the fears. The Carl Vinson is expected to arrive off the Korean coast next week.

The Trump Administration has been talking up imposing a military solution to North Korea for some time now, condemning diplomatic efforts as a failure, and insisting that the “armada” en route could be called on to “take care of” North Korea.

Author: Jason Ditz

What did those intel ships they sent, find? The latest Stratfor carrier map, however reliable, doesn’t say where the U.S. missile submarines are at.

Satellite intel among other sources would have told the Russians and Chinese where the U.S. surface fleets really were. Seeing the Vinson moving away from N.K. would have raised alarms. U.S. carrier groups clearly keeping waaay out of the way could mean real shooting was expected. Its smarter to keep carriers in reserve until North Korea’s combat strength was degraded, but a departure from U.S. protocol.

This seems to be a lesson from 2013 when the US/NATO found its surface fleet squaring off against Syria-Russia in the Med. Surface ships are fine for threatening and posturing, but in a real fight, surface vessels become loss liabilities.

As bluffers go, Trump does OK making things look random and spontaneous but the intelligent planning of others eventually stands out.

SEAN THOMAS

“but the intelligent planning of others eventually stands out.”
Yes, America is lucky to have such an intelligent leadership class.

EAGLE

How about Russia entering Alaskan and Canadian airspace with strategic Bear bombers.Poor Russia so desperate for attention all it’s credibility in the middle east wiped out with good old U.S. Tomahawk missiles on its client state.Nothing it can do to stop America’s destroyers en route to North Korea.A solid NATO presence on it’s doorsteps and not stopping NATO but actually helping it with there actions to recruit more nations to join it Macedonia.A Russian ruble that’s virtually worthless outside Russia and a president that seems to never give up power.So what do they do fly near Alaska…Hahaha…Keep it up you’re just helping make the people who are preparing for your destruction ‘s job easier.USA

RickR35

Just like the US does over Russian airspace. It’s called
Treaty on Open Skies. Nothing to panic over.

wars r u.s.

It’s like you’re unaware that Russia has nukes and you never heard of MAD.

Brockland A.T.

In this case its intelligence in the service of fragmented logic. The U.S. appears to be trolling the Eurasians and North Korea. The basic premise, is it wise or ethical to troll the Eurasians and North Korea militarily, putting on a show for domestic politics, is completely missed, perhaps even accepted as 4D chess.

The Russians and Chinese are forced to respond as if whatever the U.S. is doing is real; only North Korea can afford not to care as they are always on paranoid alert. There may be no subs in position at all, and the U.S. Navy is operating more or less as it would without Trump barking threats. Since Trump is barking, observers are forced to reconsider normal appearances as something else.

Its perfectly possible to do stupid things intelligently. Bluffing the Eurasians counts on them being rational players and reacting in certain ways. If they can be trained to become careless, even better for when the next cry of wolf has a wolf.

That trolling burns diplomatic bridges is irrelevant, as those bridges weren’t wanted by the new Kushner team of old neocons like Steven Mnuchen and CIA/Goldman Sachs Gary Cohn.

Failing to recognize that these people are intelligent and can make stupid work long enough to foist the consequences on someone else, would be a mistake.

My greatest fear is that the human race cannot survive a 3rd world war in view of the presence weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the U.S, Russia and other super powers and their allies, who are going to be the belligerents in the event of a major global military conflict.

There is need for Trump and Putin to exercise restraint and douse tension.

North Korean leader must consider the consequences of his actions and put an urgent end to his nuclear missile tests to douse tension.

Brockland A.T.

The U.S. threatened North Korea first with nukes and has never relented, refusing to even sit down with the North Koreans to negotiate a real peace treaty.

North Korea sees the logic in MAD for themselves.

The abuse of diplomacy and propaganda is putting those who are not in the wrong, or only partially in the wrong, fully in the wrong. Against North Korea the U.S. scores well. Against Putin, not so well in a free press environment

Brockland A.T.

The U.S. threatened North Korea first with nukes and has never relented, refusing to even sit down with the North Koreans to negotiate a real peace treaty.

North Korea sees the logic in MAD for themselves.

The abuse of diplomacy and propaganda is putting those who are not in the wrong, or only partially in the wrong, fully in the wrong. Against North Korea the U.S. scores well. Against Putin, not so well in a free press environment

Mark Thomason

Not “troops.” Border security. They are not threatening to go in, or even to fight, just to keep out refugees.